Dismounting device for a cable, method dismounting a cable using the dismounting device, and cable for use in said method

ABSTRACT

A dismounting device for a cable for dismounting the cable from a wall includes a force receiving member, a sleeve member, an adapter member and a securing element. The sleeve member is mechanically connected to the force receiving member. Each of the adapter member and the securing element is mechanically connected to the sleeve member. The cable is connected to the wall via the adapter member in a mechanically dismountable manner. Furthermore, dismounting of the cable occurs by the flow of force from the adapter member via the securing element onto the sleeve member and from the sleeve member onto the force receiving member.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to EP Application No. 1517424.2, filedJun. 16, 2015.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a dismounting device for a cable and alsorelates to a method for dismounting a cable using the dismounting deviceas well as to a cable for use in said method.

BACKGROUND

Cables are generally known, and they have one or more conductors whereinsaid conductors may be electrical conductors or light guides that aresurrounded by a cable sheath. The conductors serve to conduct energy orsignals, respectively.

Document U.S. Pat. No. 2,367,175A demonstrates a cable, which can bemechanically mounted in a wall. The cable is an ignition cable having anelectrically shielded high voltage conductor, while the wall is acylinder wall of an engine. Mounting of the ignition cable into a diecylinder wall is done by means of a spark plug cap. The spark plug capis screwed into the die cylinder wall. A dismounting device enablesdismounting of the ignition cable. The dismounting device consists of aninternally threaded union nut of the ignition cable and an externallythreaded sleeve of the spark plug cap. Union nut and sleeve form areleasable screw connection. The union nut is clamp connected to theignition cable via a clamp in a mechanically rigid manner. Union nut andclamp connect the ignition cable to the spark plug cap. For dismountingthe ignition cable, first the clamp connection between clamp andignition cable is released, followed by detaching the screw connectionbetween union nut and sleeve.

A coaxial cable is known from document EP0338101A1 that is screwed ontoa fitting of a sensor by means of a union nut. The sensor itself ismounted via a mounting hollow screw into a mounting hole of an injectionmolding tool. Thus, for dismounting the coaxial cable it is onlyrequired to unscrew the union nut from the fitting,

Today, cables increasingly form a functional entity with an electricaldevice or a signaling device. Such a functional entity is alsodemonstrated in the document WO2004081511A1 where a cable and a sensorcannot be nondestructively separated from each other, and thisfunctional entity is mounted into a wall of an internal combustionengine.

Frequent disassembly of the cables from the wall is necessary for manyreasons, for example when the cable is to be replaced or repaired orwhen the devices or signaling devices forming a functional entity withthe cable must be cleaned or repaired. For this purpose, a dismountingforce must be applied. This dismounting can be time consuming since thecable and, in case of a functional entity, also the sensor may jam inthe wall, for example due to contaminations, thermal expansion, etc., sothat the dismounting force will lead to pulling, twisting, jolting andlevering at the cable. Thus, the cable may be damaged because ofmechanical impact and excessive twisting around its cable axis.

A first object of the present invention is to demonstrate a dismountingdevice for a cable that is simple and cost-effective. Another object ofthe invention is to provide a method for dismounting a cable thatenables quick and damage-free dismounting of the cable from a wall.Finally, it is an object of the invention to provide a cable for use insaid method.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

At least one of these objects is achieved by the features generallydescribed below.

The invention relates to a dismounting device for a cable fordismounting the cable from a wall. The cable includes a force receivingmember. The dismounting device has a sleeve member that is mechanicallyconnected to the force receiving member; the dismounting device has anadapter member that is mechanically connected to the sleeve member; thedismounting device has a securing element that is mechanically connectedto the sleeve member. The cable is connected to the wall via the adaptermember in a mechanically dismountable manner. Furthermore, dismountingof the cable is performed by a flow of force from the adapter member viathe securing element onto the sleeve member and from the sleeve memberonto the force receiving member.

The idea underlying the invention is a dismounting device having asleeve member, an adapter member and a securing element. Furthermore,the cable includes a force receiving member that is specificallyprovided for receiving a dismounting force, for example wherein theforce receiving member is mechanically reinforced for receiving thedismounting force. The parts of the dismounting device are mounted withrespect to each other and on the cable in a way that when a dismountingforce is applied at the dismounting device, a flow of force of thedismounting force is directed into the force receiving member of thecable. Furthermore, the parts of the dismounting device are mounted withrespect to each other and on the cable in a way that they are freelyrotatable together around an axis of the longitudinal direction. In thismanner the cable is prevented from twisting when the dismounting forceis applied.

The invention also relates to a method for dismounting a cable using thedismounting device as well as to a cable for use in said method.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following, the invention will be illustrated with respect to theFigures which show

FIG. 1 is an elevated perspective view of a portion of a preferredembodiment of a cable in the course of sliding on a sleeve member of adismounting device;

FIG. 2 is a view of the cable according to FIG. 1 with the sleeve memberplaced thereon;

FIG. 3 is a view of the cable according to FIG. 2 in the course ofsliding on an adapter member of a dismounting device;

FIG. 4 is a view of the cable according to FIG. 3 with the adaptermember placed thereon;

FIG. 5 is a view of the cable according to FIG. 4 during screwing on asecuring element of a dismounting device;

FIG. 6 is a view of the cable according to FIG. 5 with the securingelement screwed thereto;

FIG. 7 is a view of the cable according to FIG. 6 after mounting in awall; and

FIG. 8 a cross section of the cable according to FIG. 7 with the flow offorce during dismounting of the cable from the wall.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1 to 6 show a cable 12 while a dismounting device 2 (FIG. 6) isassembled on the cable 12. FIG. 7 shows the cable 12 with thedismounting device 2 assembled thereon after it has been mounted in awall. FIG. 8 shows the dismounting of the cable 12 from der wall 3 bymeans of the dismounting device 2.

In a presently preferred embodiment, the cable 12 is part of a sensorarrangement 1 including a sensor 11. The cable 12 and the sensor 11 forma functional entity wherein the cable 12 and the sensor 11 cannot beseparated in a nondestructive manner, The cable 12 includes one or moreconductors (not shown) that are surrounded by a cable sheath. Theconductors serve to conduct energy or signals, respectively. In thesense of the invention, the adverb “respectively” is used with themeaning of “and/or”. The conductors may be electrical conductors made ofmetal such as copper, copper alloys, etc., but they may also be lightguides made of synthetic fibers, quartz glass fibers, etc. The cablesheath protects the conductors from external influences. The sensor 11can be a sensor of a physical property such as force, pressure,acceleration, temperature, etc. The connection of the conductors to thesensor is not shown. The sensor 12 includes a sensor sheath. The sensorsheath protects the sensor from external influences. Cable sheath andsensor sheath may be made of electrically insulating synthetic materialsuch as polyethylene, polyurethane, etc. Cable sheath and sensor sheathmay include an electromagnetic shielding made of metal such as steelalloys, aluminum alloys, etc. Cable sheath and sensor sheath may betubular or braided forming a mechanical protection. Cable sheath andsensor sheath may be water-tight or gas-tight. The parts of the sensorarrangement 1 are radially symmetrical with respect to theirlongitudinal extension. The longitudinal extension of the cable 12 andthe sensor 11 are referred to as the longitudinal direction. The radialextension of cable 12 and sensor 11 is called the radial direction,

In a presently preferred embodiment, the sensor is a piezoelectricpressure sensor by the applicant, model numbers 6021, 6023 and 6025.Cable sheath and sensor sheath are made of stainless steel, nickel-basedsteel alloys, etc. As shown in FIG. 8 for example, a sensor arrangement1 of this type is mounted in a wall 3 of a machine such as an internalcombustion engine, a turbine, a press, etc.

As shown in FIGS. 5-8 for example, an exemplary dismounting device 2includes a sleeve member 21, an adapter member 22 and a securing element23. Sleeve member 21 adapter member 22 and securing element 23 arepreferably made of metal such as steel alloys, aluminum alloys, etc.Knowing the present invention, the skilled artisan may also usesynthetic materials such as polyethylene, polyurethane, etc. as thematerial for the dismounting device 2. The parts of the dismountingdevice 2 are generally radially symmetrical with respect to theirlongitudinal extension. In the sense of the invention, the adjective“generally” is used with the meaning of “more than/equal to 90%”.

For dismounting the cable 12 by means of the dismounting device 2, thedismounting device 2 is assembled on the cable 12 beforehand and thecable 12 with the dismounting device 2 mounted thereon is mounted in thewall 3.

In a first step of the assembly, the sleeve member 21 is mechanicallyconnected to the cable 12. According to FIGS. 1 and 2, the sleeve member21 is slid over a force receiving member 121 of the cable 12. Thismechanical connection is a first form closure. The force receivingmember 121 is a mechanical reinforcement of the cable 12 designed forreceiving the dismounting force. The force receiving member 121 isformed as a rib. The force receiving member 121 preferably extends as arib completely around the outer perimeter of the cable sheath at anangle to the longitudinal direction. The force receiving member 121desirably projects several millimeters from the surface of the cablesheath in a radial direction and desirably extends several millimetersin the longitudinal direction, Adjacent to the force receiving member121 a sleeve guide element 122 is arranged in the outer perimeter of thecable sheath. The sleeve guide element 122 is formed as a groove. Thesleeve guide element 122 preferably extends as a groove completelyaround the outer perimeter of the cable sheath at an angle to thelongitudinal direction. The force receiving member 121 and the sleeveguide element 122 are integral with the cable sheath.

As shown in FIG. 1 for example, the sleeve member 21 desirably is ahollow cylinder being several centimeters in length in the longitudinaldirection and having a central bore, an inner sheath surface and anouter sheath surface. The inner sheath surface of the sleeve member 21has an outer shape that essentially corresponds to a respective outersheath surface of the cable sheath, In a region of the outer shape thatcorresponds to a region of the cable sheath bearing the force receivingmember 121, the sleeve member 21 includes a sleeve member groove 211.The sleeve member groove 211 runs at an angle to the longitudinaldirection as a groove in the inner sheath surface of the sleeve member21. The sleeve member 21, on its outer sheath surface, has a sleevemember external thread 212. The sleeve member 21 is slit in thelongitudinal direction by a sleeve member slit 213. The length of thesleeve member slit 213 extends over the entire length of the sleevemember 21 while its width corresponds to the diameter of the cable 12.As shown by an arrow in FIG. 1, the sleeve member 21 can be slid fromthe outside in a radial direction onto the cable 12 by means of thesleeve member slit 213 whereby the first form closure is achieved. Thesleeve member 21 that has been slid onto the cable 12 is shown in FIG.2. The force receiving member 121 extends radially into the sleevemember groove 211. A sleeve member end of the sleeve member 21 that isoriented towards the sensor 11 sits in the sleeve guide element 122.When the first form closure is achieved, the sleeve member 21 can berotated freely around the axis of the longitudinal direction. The sleeveguide element 122 guides the sleeve member 21 during this free rotation.

In a further step of the assembly, the adapter member 22 is mechanicallyconnected to the sleeve member 21. According to FIGS. 3 and 4, theadapter member 22 is slid onto the sleeve member 21. This mechanicalconnection is a second form closure. The adapter member 22 desirably isa hollow cylinder several centimeters in length in the longitudinaldirection and having a central bore, an inner sheath surface and anouter sheath surface. The outer sheath surface of the adapter member 22carries an adapter member external thread 221 and an adapter member head222. A diameter of the inner sheath surface of the adapter member 22essentially matches a diameter of the outer sheath surface of the sleevemember 21. As shown by an arrow in FIG. 3, the adapter member 22 can beslid via the central bore onto the sleeve member 21 in a longitudinaldirection whereby the second form closure is achieved, The adaptermember 22 that has been slid onto the sleeve member 21 is shown in FIG.4, The second form closure is such, that the adapter member 22 and thesleeve member are freely rotatable together around the axis of thelongitudinal direction. The second form closure is achieved due to theshapes of the outer sheath surface of the sleeve member 21 and the innersheath surface of the adapter member 22. Thus, one of these sheathsurfaces may be polygonal in shape in the diameter or a pin may bearranged on one of these sheath surfaces that can engage a correspondingrecess on the other sheath surface. An adapter member end of the adaptermember 22 that is oriented towards the sensor 11 abuts on a stop of thesensor 11 so that the adapter member 22 is prevented from sliding overthe sensor 11 in a longitudinal direction. Sleeve member 21 and adaptermember 22 are positioned with respect to each other in a way that thesleeve member external thread 212 and the adapter member external thread222 are easily accessible from the outside.

In a further step of the assembly, the securing element 23 ismechanically connected to the sleeve member 21. According to FIGS. 5 and6, the securing element 23 is screwed onto the sleeve member 22. Thismechanical connection is a force-fit connection. The securing element 23is a hollow cylinder several centimeters in length in the longitudinaldirection and having a central bore, an inner sheath surface and anouter sheath surface. The securing element 23 is slit in thelongitudinal direction by a securing element slit 232. The securingelement slit 232 extends along the entire length of the securing element23 while its width corresponds to a diameter of the cable 12. Thesecuring element 23 can be slid from the outside in a radial directiononto the cable 12 by means of the securing element slit 232. The innersheath surface of the securing element 23 bears a securing elementinternal thread 231. A diameter of the inner sheath surface of thesecuring element 23 essentially matches the diameter of the outer sheathsurface in the region of the sleeve member external thread 212. Asdemonstrated by an arrow in FIG. 5, the securing element 23 can bescrewed by means of the securing element internal thread 231 onto thesleeve member external thread 212 in the longitudinal direction toachieve the force-fit connection. The securing element 23 that has beenscrewed onto the sleeve member 21 is shown in FIG. 6. The force-fitconnection between the securing element 23 and the sleeve member 21 issuch that the securing element 23 and the sleeve member 21 can be freelyrotated together around the axis of the longitudinal direction.

FIG. 7 shows the cable 12 mounted in a wall 3 by means of thedismounting device 2. For this purpose, the cable 12 is screwed into amounting hole internal thread 301 (FIG. 8) of the wall 3 by means of theadapter member external thread 221. This mechanical connection is aforce-fit connection.

FIG. 8 schematically shows the flow of force by the thin and windingarrow shaft designated K while the cable 12 is dismounted from the wall3 by means of the dismounting device 2. For this purpose, a dismountingforce is applied to the adapter member head 222, for example using atool such as a wrench, etc. (not shown). The flow of force is indicatedas a winding arrow. The flow of force K progresses from the adaptermember head 222 via the securing element 23 onto the sleeve member 21and from the sleeve member 21 onto the force receiving member 121. Thedismounting force, via the adapter member external thread 221, screwsthe cable 12 out of the mounting hole internal thread 301 of the wall 3.If now additional pulling, twisting, jolting or levering is applied atthe dismounting device 2 in order to remove the cable 12 from the wall3, this dismounting force cannot lead to twisting of the cable since theparts of the dismounting device 2 are freely rotatable together aroundthe axis of the longitudinal direction.

A person skilled in the art and knowing the present invention is ablemount the dismounting device 2 onto the sensor 11 instead of the cable12 and is able to mount the dismounting device 2 onto the cable 12 aswell as onto the sensor 11.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

1 sensor arrangement

2 dismounting device

3 wall

11 sensor

12 cable

121 force receiving member

122 sleeve guide element

21 sleeve member

22 adapter member

23 securing element

211 sleeve member groove

212 sleeve member external thread

213 sleeve member slit

221 adapter member external thread

222 adapter member head

231 securing element internal thread

232 securing element slit

301 mounting hole internal thread

K flow of force

1-15. (canceled)
 16. A dismounting device for dismounting from a wall acable having a force receiving member, the dismounting devicecomprising: a sleeve member that defines an interior surface that isconfigured for being mechanically connected to the force receivingmember; an adapter member that is mechanically connected to the sleevemember and configured for being connected to the wall in a mechanicallydismountable manner; a securing element that is mechanically connectedto the sleeve member; and wherein the securing element, the sleevemember and the adapter member are connected in a manner to ensure thatdismounting of the cable occurs by a flow of force from the adaptermember via the securing element onto the sleeve member and from thesleeve member onto the force receiving member.
 17. The dismountingdevice according to claim 16, wherein the interior surface of the sleevemember that is configured for being mechanically connected to the forcereceiving member defines a first form closure; and wherein the sleevemember is freely rotatable around the longitudinal axis of the cableafter the first form closure is mechanically connected to the forcereceiving member.
 18. The dismounting device according to claim 17,wherein the sleeve member includes a sleeve member slit; and wherein thesleeve member slit is configured so that the sleeve member can be slidonto the force receiving member via the sleeve member slit by moving thesleeve member in a radial direction to mechanically connect the firstform closure to the force receiving member.
 19. The dismounting deviceaccording to claim 18, wherein the force receiving member includes a ribthat extends at an angle to the longitudinal direction around an outerperimeter of a cable sheath; wherein the first form closure of thesleeve member includes a sleeve member groove that extends at an angleto the longitudinal direction such that when the sleeve member has beenslid onto the force receiving member the force receiving member projectsinto the sleeve member groove.
 20. The dismounting device according toclaim 17, wherein the force receiving member includes a sleeve guideelement that defines in the outer perimeter of the cable sheath a groovethat extends as at an angle to the longitudinal direction; and whereinthe first form closure is configured to project into the groove in thecable sheath to restrain longitudinal movement of the sleeve memberduring free rotation of the sleeve member about the longitudinal axis.21. The dismounting device according to any of the claim 17, wherein asecond form closure mechanically connects the adapter member to thesleeve member; and wherein the adapter member and the sleeve member arefreely rotatable together around the longitudinal axis after the secondform closure mechanically connects the adapter member to the sleevemember.
 22. The dismounting device according to claim 21, wherein theadapter member defines a central bore extending longitudinally throughthe adapter; and wherein the adapter member can be slid onto the sleevemember in the longitudinal direction via the central bore so that thesecond form closure mechanically connects the adapter member to thesleeve member.
 23. The dismounting device according to claim 21, whereinthe sleeve member defines an outer sheath surface, and wherein thesecond form closure includes an inner sheath surface of the adaptermember that defines a shape configured to connect to the outer sheathsurface of the sleeve member.
 24. The dismounting device according toclaim 21, wherein adapter member defines an adapter member externalthread and the sleeve member defines a sleeve member external thread,and the sleeve member and the adapter member are positioned with respectto each other in a way that the sleeve member external thread and theadapter member external thread are easily accessible from the outside.25. The dismounting device according to claim 21, wherein the securingelement is mechanically connected to the sleeve member via a force-fitconnection; and wherein the securing element and the sleeve member arefreely rotatable together around the longitudinal axis after theforce-fit connection is achieved.
 26. The dismounting device accordingto claim 25, wherein the securing element includes a securing elementinternal thread; wherein the sleeve member includes a sleeve memberexternal thread; and wherein the securing element can be screwed in thelongitudinal direction via the securing element internal thread onto thesleeve member external thread to achieve the force-fit connection. 27.An apparatus for generating signals from at least one detectedphenomenon and transmitting the signals away from a wall, the apparatuscomprising: a cable elongating about a longitudinal axis and defining aproximal end; a sensor disposed for taking measurements and connected tothe proximal end of the cable; a cable sheath connected to the cablenear the proximal end and upstream from the proximal end and including aforce receiving member; and a dismounting device for dismounting thecable from the wall, the dismounting device including: a sleeve memberthat defines an interior surface that is configured for beingmechanically connected to the force receiving member; an adapter memberthat is mechanically connected to the sleeve member and configured forbeing connected to the wall in a mechanically dismountable manner; asecuring element that is mechanically connected to the sleeve member;and wherein the securing element, the sleeve member and the adaptermember are connected in a manner to ensure that dismounting of the cableoccurs by a flow of force from the adapter member via the securingelement onto the sleeve member and from the sleeve member onto the forcereceiving member.
 28. The apparatus of claim 27, the sleeve member isfreely rotatable with respect to the cable around the longitudinal axisof the cable after the first form closure is mechanically connected tothe force receiving member.
 29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein theadapter member and the sleeve member are freely rotatable together withrespect to the cable around the longitudinal axis.
 30. A method fordetachably mounting to a wall a sensor disposed for taking measurementsand connected to one end of a cable having a force receiving memberdisposed upstream of the sensor, the method comprising: assembling adismounting device according to claim 16 on the cable by mechanicallyconnecting the sleeve member to the force receiving member, sliding theadapter member over the exterior of the sleeve member and connecting adownstream end of the adapter member to the wall so that an upstream endof the sleeve member is projecting out of the adapter member, andconnecting the securing element to the upstream end of the sleevemember.
 31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the sensor isscrewed via an adapter member external thread into a mounting holeinternal thread (301) of the wall; that for dismounting the sensor aforce is applied at an adapter member head (222), which force screws theadapter member external thread out of the mounting hole internal thread(301) of the wall.
 32. The method according to claim 30, wherein thestep of connecting the downstream end of the adapter member to the wallincludes rotating the adapter member about the longitudinal axis withoutrotating the sensor about the longitudinal axis.
 33. The methodaccording to claim 30, wherein the step of connecting the securingelement to the upstream end of the sleeve member includes rotating thesecuring element about the longitudinal axis without rotating the sensorabout the longitudinal axis.
 34. The method according to claim 30,wherein mechanically connecting the force receiving member to the sleevemember includes the step of allowing the section of the cable's sheathwith the force receiving member to pass transversely through a slotformed longitudinally through the sleeve member so that the interiorsurface of the sleeve member engages the force receiving member so as tothereafter prevent longitudinal movement of the sleeve member withrespect to the cable.
 35. The method according to claim 30, whereinconnecting the securing element to the upstream end of the sleeve memberincludes allowing the cable to pass transversely through a slot formedlongitudinally through the securing element and moving the securingelement longitudinally so that the interior surface of the securingelement engages the exterior surface of the upstream end of the sleevemember.